Automatic air-coupling.



H S. MILLER.

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING.

.APPLIOAT FILED Patented May 30, 1911.

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' AUTOMAT R COUPLING. APPLIOA'IIO 1m MAR 15 1010 Patented May 30, 1911.

2 8HEET8SHEET 2.

H. STANLEY MILLER, OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed March 15, 1910. Serial No. 549,451.

.To all whom it may concern citizen of the United States,

Be it known that I, H. STANL Y MILLER, a residing at Johnson City, and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air- Couplers, of'which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a hose coupling designed for use in connection with railway cars and adapte'dfor the automatic coupling and uncoupling of the air, steam and signal pipes.

The main object of the present invention is. the provlsion of hose coupling members including inter-connecting heads and pipe.

sections mounted in the heads and supported for relative endwise movement in the hanger, each: head being formed to interlock with thepipe section of the opposing coupler .under a rotary movement of said pipe sec tion, the hanger and pipe section being formedwith co-acting 'means to induce a rotary movement in the pipe sections during its endwise movement.

The invention in its preferred details of I construction will be described in the followin interlocked relation. .Fig. 2 is a longiing specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in

which:--

Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating the improved couplers and showing them tudinal section through one of the cou lers. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of .one o the coupling heads; Fig. at is a section on line lie 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a slightly modified connection between the head and bearing member. y I

Referring particularly to the accompany ing drawings, wherein is shown the preferred details of construction, my improvedcoupler comprises a hanger block 1 secured in any appropriate or desired manner to the car body to support the coupler in proper position. Th hanger is formed wlth a spherical recess 2 opening by means of a restricted entrance 3 through the forward side of the hanger, and in the recess 2 1s mounted a spherical body 4 arrangedfor 1ndependentmovement therein to providein effect a universal joint: The spherical body is formed with a sleeve like extension 5 projecting through the entrance opening 3, and.

in the county of \Vashington partlcu ar service pipe on the car which it is desired to connect or couple with the similar pipe on the'adjacent car; The pipe 7 extends some distance in advance of the hanger 1 and on its forward end has rotatably mounted a head including a sleeve like member 9 formed with forwardly projecting divergent guide arms 10 whereby the respec-' tive heads are, through the cotiperation of the guiding action of their arms, caused to come together in properly alined position. Adjacent the juncture of the arms with the sleeve proper, the inner surface of each arm is formed with a recess 11, so that the outer end of the sleeve is provided with three or more undercut recesses and a similar number of intervening clear spaces. The end of the pipe section 7 at the forward or free end of the sleeve is provided with a locking member 12, including an annular section 13 and a series of radial locking projections 14. The diameter of the-interior opening of the member 13 corresponds to the bore of the pipe section 7, while the maximum or exterior diameter of the annular member exceeds the diameter of the pipe. Therefore, when in place, the locking member prevents an endwise movement of the head beyond the pipe section, as the excess diameter of the locking member provides a projecting portion to bear upon the end of the sleeve 9 of said member. The locking projections 14 are of v such size and so in the head, sai part of said rotation in the recesses 11.

A spring '15 is coiled about the pipe section 7 with its ends exerting endwise pressure between the section 5 of the bearing body and the head, said spring being socured to the head to prevent independent movement of the latter with, respect to the bearing member 4:, so that while the pipe section '7' is free to rotate within the head and bearing member said parts are held against si1n1lar movement. a The sprin 15 acts to maintain the section 7 projecte 1ts maximum distance beyond the hanger -1, which distance is materially in excess ofthat positioned as to freely rotate c necessary when the couplers are connected.

projections riding during zontal position,

' projected its maxin'rum distance under the the , tion 7 will have moved a sufficient distance their hanger, which is nears in the travel of the train.

,tion the riding of the pro It being desirable to sustain the'forward endtof the coupler in approximatelyhori- ;I secure upon" the rear end of the pipe section 7 what may be termed a positioning block 16', preferably of angular contour and designed, when 't'he'sction T infltienceof the spring 1'5, to seat in a correspondingly angular recess 17 foi med in the. near surface of'the hanger 1. By this means coupler wlre'n projected is su'pported in honizontal position, but' when the parts are coupled with the adjacent member the secinward beyond the recess T t -pernnt'that movement of the coupler, independent of necessary and incident to the independent movement of the To secure the necessary rotating movement ofsect ion 7 during the coupling operation. I form 'in SHid SQCtIOHT a longitudinally, extending groove or channel 18 designed to receive-a pin 19 secured in the body 4. The channel'is so formed that during the'mward movement of section 7, un-

'der thepressure of the opposing coupler, said section 7 will be partially rotated with 'the effect. to turn the'lock-ing, member 12'on the end of the sametd 'dispose the locking projections Lt thereof within the recesses 11 of the opposinghead. To prevent twisting of the bearing member 4 in its socket, I pre fer-that the pin 19 project through said bearing niemberand take into ta groove 20. formed in the wall of the recess 2, the groove being so arranged as to permit a movement of the bearing member in practicallv all direct-ions except a twisting movement.

The locking member 12 is formed on its outer or contacting surface with a gasket '21. and'the inner surfaces of the locking projections l t'and the engaging surfaces of the "outer walls of the slots 11 are beveled or in- :clined, as at- 22, so that in the coupling acections beneath saidwallsw'ill cause a binding action which will force the contacting gaskets together with==such power'as to insure an airtight juncture,.while at the same time providing a comparatively rigid connection between the parts. I j

The operation-of the improvedcoupler will be readily.understoo'd from the above. description, taken in connection with the dra wings,' itbeing noted that in normal position the couplers are supported in an approximately horizontal relation and that as the cars come together the arms 10 will guide the respective heads'into the propen relation. As the locking members on the respective sections 7 engage-which occurs prior to the car coupling position of the res'pectiv'e cars, the. continued approaching beneath the .through the hearing member independent rotary I with a spherical recess,

jections, diverging movement' of the cars will force the respect re sections {7 rearwartjllvthrough the re spcc tive'hangers 1, This movement firs. frees the positioning members 16' from the recesses 17 and then. by the cooperation of I the pin- 19 and the channellS, causes a r-o- *tar v, movement-of the respective,seotions 7 to turn their locking members and force the respective pro ect-ions ll of each section 7 oclnng walls of the recesses 11 of the opposing heath A reverse movement k of the parts is induced on the separation of the cars for anvr'eason, permitting the ready and; convenient uncoupling.

In Fig. I Have shown aslightly modified form of cpnnection between .the bearing member anl head, whereby to prevent independent i'otary movement of the latter. This connection comprises a sleeve or pip section secured to the head and encircling the section 7. said sleeve 23 passes loosely l and is rigidlv secured to the positioning member 16. the pin 19 passing loosely through a longitudinally disposed slot 2-1 in said sleeve By this means the head is prevented from an I l movement.

Having thus described the invention, I claim as new, v

i 1. A coupler including a hanger formed with a spherical recess, a spheri-a1 bearing wha t -m'ounted in said recess, a pipe section arranged, for free longitudinal movementthrough the bearing, a head carried by the forward end of the pipe section, a locking; member secured on the pipe section beyond 10 the head and formedto provide locking projections, diverging fingers pro ecting forwardly. from the head, each of said fingers adjacent its juncture with the head being formed on the inner surface with a channel to receive'one' of the locking projections of the locking member of the opposing head, and means for inducing an independent rotarv movement of the pipe section to force' the locking projections thereof in the recesses of the'ppposing heat.

2-. A coupler including a hanger formed a spherical-bearing mounted in said recess, a pipe section are ranged for free longitudinal movement 5 through the bearing, a head carried by the forward end of thepipe section, a locking member secured on the pipe section beyond the head and formed to provide locking pro- 1 fingers projecting forwardly fromthe head, each of said fingers adjacentits juncture. with the head being fornied on the inner surface with a channe to receive one of the locking projections of the locking member of the opposing head.'1 and means for inducing an independent rotary movement of the pipe section to force the locking projections thereof in the recesses of the opposing head, the cooperating surface of the recesses and locking prowith a spherical recess, a spherical bearing mounted in said recess, a ipe section arranged for free longitu lnal movement through the bearing, a head carried by the forward end ofthe pipe section, a locking member secured on the pipe section beyond the head and formed to provide locking projections, diverging fingers projecting forwardly from the head, each of said fingers adjacent, its juncture with the head being formedon the inner surface with a channel to receive one of thelocking projections of the locking member of the opposing head, means for inducing an independent rotary movement of the pipe section to force-the locking projections thereof in the recesses of the.head, the cooperating surfaces of the recesses and locking projections being of beveled formation to induce a 'wedging action in the locking operation, and a spring secured to the bearing and to the head to normally separate these parts their maximumjdistance.

4;, A coupler including a hanger formed w'th a spherical recess, a spherical bearing miiunt'ed in said recess, a pipe section arranged for free longitudinal movement through the bearings, a head carried by the forward end of the pipe section, a lockin member secured on the pipe section beyon the head and formed to provide locking projections, diverging fingers projecting forwardly from the head, each of said fingers adjacent its juncture with the head bein formed on the inner surface with a channel to receive one of the locking projections of the locking member of the opposing head, means for inducing an independent rotary movement of the pipe section to force the locking projections thereof in the recesses of the head, the cooperating surfaces of the recesses and locking projections being of beveled formation to induce a wedging action in the locking operation, a spring secured to thebea'ring and to the head to normally separate these parts their maximum distance, and a position member of angular-contour carried by the pipe section,

said hanger being formed with a correspondingly shaped recess to receive the posltioning member when the parts are 111 their normal position. I

In testimony whereofI afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

H. STANLEY MILLER. WVitnesses G120. W. KEYS, JOHN 0. PRICE. 

